You're the Sweet to my Sour
by TheBrokenBottle
Summary: To the newlyweds Yuzu and Mei, life is full of surprises as they live their days encountering adventures with each other and their friends. (Fluff/Oneshots/Ships/AUs) [NEW: CHAPTER 2: Fracture of a Second]
1. White Weddings

**A/N:**

**Hello!**

**Now, if you remember me, you might know me from my RWBY-based stories. Well, this time it's different. I finally took an attempt in writing a series for one of my guilty pleasures, the yuri manga named Citrus, taking on other stories that consist of smaller stories and fluffy one-shots.**

**This chapter is in reality an one-shot, however, if perceived well and if the feedback asks for it (feel free to send some, I always love another person's view on my work.) I might make a continuation on this chapter. But for now, what you can expect will be one shots, focused on the daily life of Yuzu, Mei and their friends.**

**I sincerely hope you enjoy this new project,**

**and I will hopefully see you in the next chapter!**

* * *

Today was the day.

The day her heart had longed for in eager anticipation.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she checked herself in the mirror for what felt to be the hundredth time that morning, unsure whether the way she was dressed was perfect, or close to it.

It had to be perfect.

Today was the day she'd get married to the girl who secretly made her heart skip beats whenever her vibrant smile flashed in her direction, or when her brilliant green orbs laid sight on her. The idea seemed almost impossible to grasp: a fantasy beyond her wildest dreams. Grasping the idea felt nearly impossible, out of this world. She was afraid to pinch herself, fearing it would indeed be a dream and she'd wake up to find all of this was not real. But she was wide awake and fully aware that this was reality. After a life spent fulfilling the wishes of others it was finally her turn. She felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders and for the first time she was unshackled: free to reach out and follow her heart.

The absence of her wedding ring made Mei Aihara slightly anxious, realizing that the start of a new chapter in her life was about to happen. The concrete path that she had formed behind her feet up until now suddenly felt like it had evaporated into white, fluffy clouds, lazily carrying her along into a state of pure bliss. Even today, on the most joyous, wonderous day of her life she still hid herself behind a cold, unflinching mask. Even today she wasn't ready to let the world see how she truly felt.

Only one person had managed to crack through that mask, breaking down the walls she'd built around her heart and embracing the fragile person within. She was the first person Mei had ever opened up to, partly because of the reckless, forceful ways the blonde had barged into her life. And also because of the building love and affection she felt growing every second towards her girlfriend, - soon to be her wife. -

She could still remember every second of that fateful day even with all the time that had passed.. The blonde interfering with her engagement plans, an arrangement that wasn't set up for two lovers to live, but to ensure success in the future of their families respective businesses. No matter how hard she had tried to avoid her sister to make sure her resolve wouldn't crumble, it had been in vain.

There she was, pinned to the ground by security employees in the door entrance, calling out Mei's name in tears, and every inch of Mei's being had begged for that moment to stop, forcing her to turn around and betray how she truly felt. How could she look the blonde in the eyes after so long, without choking on her sobs. In their time separated, Mei had missed her lover, _terribly._

So when the troublesome blonde extended her hand towards the younger girl, clutching the ring in her palm while vowing her love to her, in the dim light of the balcony lanterns with the faint gust of wind blowing around the pair, the wall around Mei's heart crumbled and in that instant she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this girl. And when she proposal came, all she could manage to force out her dry throat was a teary "Yes", sealed by a kiss that spoke louder than a thousand words ever could.

All of that had led to this moment. It was very nearly time for her to walk down the aisle and get married to the girl of her dreams. It seemed so surreal.

"Yuzu.." Mei whispered to herself in awe, nervously fidgeting with the frills attached to her wedding dress.

A thought had been lingering at the back of her mind all morning, calling out to her as she busied herself preparing for the wedding. It called and called and called every time she had a free second, forcing its way into her thoughts until it was all her excited brain could think about.

_How would Yuzu look in her wedding dress?_

A slight blush creeped its way onto her face as she checked herself in the mirror yet again. Her hair had been tied back into a neat, tight bun, a timid bouquet of flowers braided between the long strands of raven-colored hair to accentuate her slender, delicate cheekbones. Then her gaze moved down to the neckpiece, her fingers brushing over the smooth silver delicately and carefully, as if anything but the lightest of touches would shatter the beautiful jewelry into a million pieces. The centerpiece of the necklace was a flawlessly cut diamond, set in a frame of white gold, surrounded by a ring of smaller diamonds. It was as close to perfect as Mei had ever seen and every movement she made caused the diamond to glisten and sparkle in the dim light of the changing room.

Her dress displayed an elegant beauty that clung to her slender form and focused attention on the slim waist and narrow shoulders. It was long, silky smooth and white as snow. Chosen by Shiraho-senpai and Himeko, it had been presented to her a couple days before the wedding. Much to the girl's displeasure, the dress had been kept a secret from Yuzu. Mei found it endearing and amusing to have her girlfriend constantly bombard her with questions concerning her dress, while giving away nothing to spoil the surprise.

Of course, it was only fair for Yuzu to keep her dress a secret from the black haired girl as well, as Taniguchi-san and Matsuri were in charge of the blonde's wedding dress. Mei could easily imagine the chaos that must have been: Matsuri who would happily suggest a skimpy-looking dress, to exaggerate the already intense sex-appeal of the blonde, only to be scolded by Taniguchi-senpai, stating it was Yuzucchi's 'special day', and she probably wouldn't want to look like someone who was picked up from the corner of the street.

Mei had been so deep in thought for a moment, she didn't hear the door to her dressing room open.

"You look beautiful, Mei-Mei." A familiar voice spoke softly, entering the dressing room and closing the door gently behind her. Himeko joined her side in the mirror, aiding her friend in the task of fitting a matching pair of pearl earrings that complimented the necklace perfectly.

Mei looked away awkwardly. "Thanks.." she murmured, the back of her hand muffling her lips ever so slightly.

Himeko smiled warmly, used to the shy mannerisms of her friend whenever she was complimented. "Should I help you with your veil?"

"Yes, please." Carefully adjusting the flowers woven in her hair, the taller girl bowed, allowing her much smaller friend to place the tiara on her head, the veil attached to it flowing smoothly down her slender face.

With a little hum, Himeko adjusted the crown piece to make sure it was properly centered on her friend's head before taking a step back and holding up her hands like an artist who just finished a beautiful painting. "Done. It really finishes the gown."

A small timid smile formed on the black haired girl's lips. "Thank you." For a moment she looked out the window, her brows furrowing in a sad expression as she let out a sigh that did not go unnoticed by her childhood friend.

"Are you alright? Mei-Me-" Himeko was cut off by Mei, turning her way, a slightly worried expression visible on her features.

"Have you seen Yuzu?" Mei asked, anxiously awaiting her friend's answer.

"Y-yeah, she's waiting at the altar. The rest is waiting too." Unsure as to why Mei had asked that question, Himeko stuttered. "Why?"

Another blush lit up Mei's face, her eyes hazing ever so slightly as she searched for the right words to say, fearing that Himeko wouldn't answer the question but knowing she had to ask anyway.

"H-how does she look?" She spoke softly, her voice barely audible and it made Mei wonder if her friend had even heard her. But these thoughts were interrupted by the softening of Himeko's features as she let out a gentle, warm chuckle, understanding the reason behind Mei's question.

There was a part of Mei that was still unsure, a small fraction of her mind that was full of insecurities and doubt. And right now, Mei was worrying that her appearance wouldn't match up to that of her bride-to-be. Yuzu had an undeniable fashion sense, and Himeko knew that Mei couldn't help but compare herself to the always stunning blonde even now.

"Yes, she looks gorgeous. But so do you." Mei looked up surprised from the floor, her eyes widened. Her friend knew the idea she was grasping, and the insecurity fueled by the fashionable differences between the two lovers.

"You think so?" She questioned, receiving an affirmative nod from the pigtailed girl. Her expression softened for a second, before shifting to one of determination, her mind working overtime to recollect her focus.

"Let's go."

* * *

The atmosphere in the church bubbled with anticipation and excitement. All the pews on both sides of the aisle were completely full of people and a gentle chatter had broken out amongst the ranks. A rousing chord from the organ situated at the far left corner of the church signalled the bride had arrived and all the guests turned to watch the heavy oaken doors swing open and an anxious Mei step gingerly through, painfully aware of all the eyes trained on her. Her appearance drew a chorus of gasps, 'woah's' and whistles from the assembled people which went some way towards setting her mind at ease. She let her shoulders slump slightly with a contented sigh and began to walk gently towards the aisle where her father waited in a smart black suit.

She immediately noticed a group of girls cheering in the front rows, clapping and whoo-ing enthusiastically. Her friends and members of the student council were seated in the front of the church closest to the altar. Himeko delicately wiped away a small tear with a handkerchief, offered by Shiraho-senpai. Her bodyguards were sat on either side of her as well, quietly sobbing behind their sunglasses.

Matsuri wolf-whistled suggestively as she looked at Mei, smirking at her in a dirty mannerism, but pouting when she was smacked lightly on the head by a blushing Harumin.

Mei would definitely thank her for that after the wedding.

Nina and Sara had also been invited, wearing matching blue dresses. It still amused the violet-eyed girl how big the size gap was between the twins, as Sara was struggling to look over the bench in front of her, and Nina sat head and shoulders taller than most of the rest of the girls.

Ume also sat in the front row boasting a brilliant smile that stretched from ear to ear.. Mei offered a small pure smile in return: she was incredibly thankful for Ume's support in their romance and she knew just how much her mother truly loved both sisters. Mei had been really, really scared initially about what Ume might think, both because of her fear of losing Yuzu, as well as being a disappointment to her mother. But to her relief the two of them were given Ume's blessing.

Shou stood ready at the start of the aisle, taking Mei's delicate hand in his as he restrained a muffled sob, quickly looking away in the other direction to hide his tears of joy.

"Father are you alright?" Mei asked, slightly smiling at the way her father tried to hide his tears.

"Yeah, d-don't look at me." He said, a blush sprawling over his cheeks, as they walked hand in hand down the aisle together towards the altar, all eyes looking at the pair of them. Mei chuckled gently at his stubborn nature.

The feeling inside her was almost indescribable. True undiluted joy permeated her body as she cast her gaze over everyone: all these people who had crowded into the church to watch the two sisters on their special day. Mei felt all the smiles and adoration from the rows of friends and family and the slight shaking of her father's hand on her own. She glanced up at Shou and watched him stifle another tear, the sight truly endearing.

As they neared the altar Mei took a deep breath as she gathered the courage to look towards the altar where she knew the woman who meant so much to her was standing, waiting. Waiting for her.

Yuzu stood there before her, illuminated by a range of brilliant colours as sunlight filtered through the large stained glass windows behind her. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and glisten with such intensity Mei found herself lost in their loving gaze. A warm smile and flushed cheeks gave an inviting, almost irresistible appeal to her face, and it made Mei's heartbeat increase its tempo rapidly, her mind and her body sending signals and sensations surging throughout her body at the sight of her bride-to-be and the thoughts of what would lie ahead as a married couple. Mei felt her cheeks light up like a beacon and she tried to ignore the rhythm of her heartbeat resonating in her chest as she got closer and closer, step by step to Yuzu. But as she neared the altar, she saw Yuzu's expression change to one of mirth and amazement.

Mei stood there for a brief moment in confusion before realization struck her like lightning and the blush tinting her face intensified furiously.

They were both wearing completely identical dresses, exactly like Yuzu had suggested a couple months back at their bridal photoshoot date. Not only that, the jewelry and the shoes seemed to be exactly the same as well. Even the flowers woven delicately into their hair looked identical. It was even more surprising to Mei that the blonde seemed just as shocked as she was at the similarity. Yuzu didn't know about this, she couldn't have. They'd both promised to keep all details about their appearances secret until the actual wedding, albeit slightly begrudgingly from Yuzu. And Mei knew Yuzu well enough to know she would never break a promise like that.

Still a little confused, Mei glanced in the direction of her friends once again, only this time all of them had shameless smirks plastered over their faces. Even the typically stern and serious Himeko had a sly grin on her face.

Then the penny dropped.

This was their plan all along. By having different groups arrange the dresses for each girl they could enact their plan to have the brides don the same dress and the same jewelry and decorations.

They had the best friends.

Shou gently let go of her hand and Mei turned to look at him one last time before she reached the altar, his face beaming with pride and glimmering with a few tears. The moment had finally come for the two brides to be reunited at the top of the altar, their hands immediately finding each other's and clenching reassuringly. Mei took a sudden breath at the warm reassuring feeling of Yuzu's hands in hers. This was it! They were finally getting married! In front of them the priest, an elderly man, smiled down on the two of them and Yuzu gazed deeply and passionately into her lover's eyes, blushing vividly as she spoke.

"Mei.. you look absolutely breathtaking." She spoke softly, but loud enough for their group of friends to hear and burst into a chorus of 'awws', earning a set of appreciating chuckles from the brides. A single, solitary tear had formed in the corner of Yuzu's eye and begun to roll down her fair cheek, and bringing up her hand, Mei caught it with a finger and delicately brushed it away, looking at her apologetically.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry." She said, a guilty tone hidden beneath her voice.

"Wha?! No! Mei, I'm crying because you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen." Yuzu tearily admitted, earning a soft, surprised gasp from the black-haired girl. For a brief moment there was complete and utter silence in the church. Then a quiet sob escaped Mei's lips, as tears formed in her own eyes.

This was the woman she was destined to be with. There was no doubt in the world anymore.

"I.." Mei hesitated, desperately searching for the right words to convey how she truly felt about the other girl. Gently, Yuzu rubbed her thumb over the back of Mei's hand, looking at her reassuringly.

"It's okay.. you don't have to-" Yuzu began but she was hurriedly interrupted by Mei's exclamation.

"I love you, Yuzu." The black-haired girl gazed at her lover, a tear rolling down her own cheek. It was the first time ever she had made such a remark in public, and while she normally hated being vulnerable and exposing her feelings, somehow it felt okay now. Even comfortable.

Her love wasn't a secret. Not anymore.

Yuzu tightened her grip on her hands, slowly bringing her forehead closer until they touched. There was a dampness on her cheek, and she saw that the blonde was crying now as well. A church filled with heads looking in their direction, yet the world seemed to slow down to a complete stop.

It was as though this very moment had been made just for the two of them. The light refracting through the stained glass bathed the couple in all the colours of the rainbow, and Mei took in everything about Yuzu. The immaculate makeup, the warm, endearing green eyes, the bouquet of flowers decorating her hair, the long, flowing dress that matched her own. And in this moment, all that mattered to her was Yuzu. The warmth radiating off her skin, the sweet perfume surrounding her being and the way the dress emphasized her womanly figure drove Mei insane. She would dedicate her entire life to make sure Yuzu would live a happily alongside her, showing her love for the blonde in any way she could.

The whole church was looking straight at the couple, but in this single, beautiful moment the rest of the world seemed to stop for them.

Yuzu spoke softly, maintaining eye contact with her sister as she did so. Her tone spoke of the love and affection she had for the dark-haired girl and the words resonated deep within Mei's heart, sending happiness coursing through her body and the corners of her lips turn upwards into a delicate, beautiful smile, the tears falling freely down her face.

"I love you too."


	2. Fracture of a Second

**A/N: Hello~**

**Welcome back to the second chapter, this chapter will leave you no leg to stand on (wink wink). Also, I'm very thankful for the feedback I got on the last chapter, it had an incredibly motivating effect and helped me figure out my points of focus, and the points where I'm allowed to slack for a bit.**

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter, and I hope you like it! (Also, new chapter of Citrus plus coming out in 3 days, I am very excited.)**

* * *

In the time since Mei and Yuzu had been in a relationship, Mei had gotten to know her older sister far better and it had become painfully clear that Yuzu was anything but co-ordinated. She had an inherent clumsiness in almost everything she did and while it was somewhat charming and endearing, Mei knew that eventually it would bite the bubbly blonde in the back.

So when the inevitable happened and Yuzu slipped and broke her ankle during P.E class at the Aihara Academy, Mei was anything but surprised. Despite this, her protective nature immediately kicked in as she hurried to her sister's side, forcing her way through the small crowd that had gathered around the blonde, gesturing vigorously towards Harumin to call an ambulance, who instantly obliged and pulled her cell phone from her cleavage.

Mei frowned slightly at this: her time spent as Student Council President had instilled a firm and rigid view towards school policy violations, and that included keeping cell phones in cleavages. Still, that was a secondary concern at the moment. Her devotion to the rules could come later, right now the most pressing issue was the blonde haired girl sprawled on the floor in front of her.

Right now Yuzu was her absolute priority.

"Everyone step back." The gym teacher demanded, shooting a sharp glance at the black-haired girl, Mei sighing dejectedly in defeat before obliging, standing up and joining the others in the crowd. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a bunch of paramedics rushing into the building and making a beeline straight for the injured Yuzu. Mei watched on, doing her best to hide the concern building within.

Yuzu lay crumpled in a heap on the floor, quietly sobbing, one hand clasped tightly around her left ankle and the other covering her face. Strands of messy blonde hair fell across her features and the sight of her lover in such pain tugged at Mei's heartstrings even though the normally reserved girl would never admit it.

"Here, lean on me." One of the paramedics urged, carefully helping Yuzu to a standing position. The blonde-haired girl winced in pain at the movement and stood awkwardly, putting all her weight on her right foot and using the paramedic for support. Mei's eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly and for a brief moment she contemplated saying something but thought better of it. After all, they were paramedics: they knew exactly what they were doing.

Mei repeated this over and over in her head in an attempt to calm her already furiously beating heart and stop it from increasing its rapid tempo even further.

With Yuzu just about able to stand with assistance, one of the paramedics carefully examined her left ankle. Already swelling and inflammation surrounded the broken bone and her foot was pointing at a weird angle. She would need to go to hospital straight away. Very, very gently they helped the injured girl into a more comfortable position and were about to leave when Harumin stepped boldly forward, calling for them to wait. With the whole room looking at her, Harumin pointed at Mei.

"That girl is her sister. Let her come with you too so she can make sure everything will be fine!" Harumin stated, the paramedics turning to look at Mei and causing a wave of panic to wash over the dark-haired girl.

She genuinely wanted to make sure that her sister was okay. As flustered as the sudden attention shift made her, Yuzu's safety mattered more than anything to her so, despite everything, Mei was thankful for the gyaru for understanding the situation and making that suggestion. She met the paramedics' eyes, silently pleading with them to let her come with them in her head.

The paramedics shared a glance for a brief second, before gesturing at Mei to join them, much to the girl's relief. Quickly picking up her pace she reached for her jacket and pulled it over her shoulders, not bothering to change out of her gym clothes as there was no time for that. They left the building, Mei's pace matching that of the paramedics, who were escorting her wounded lover towards the ambulance.

* * *

"Wha!? Six weeks!?" Yuzu exclaimed in disbelief and dismay, pointing at the purple cast that neatly enclosed the broken ankle. "Oh man."

The doctor chuckled sympathetically at the blonde who was visibly displeased by the news. He then held the X-ray underneath the lamp that hung in the corner of the examination room, illuminating it for them all to see.

"You're very lucky, Miss Aihara. This fracture should heal naturally within the course of 5 to 7 weeks, so no corrective surgery is needed." He stated matter-of-factly, pointing out on the x-ray the place where the bone had snapped.

Yuzu pouted, fully aware of the extent to which this temporary disability would make her life a misery for the next few weeks, things like visiting the mall with Harumin, or even something as basic as walking up the stairs at school would be fiendishly hard if not impossible.

"Oh thank goodness." Ume, who had been contacted shortly after they arrived at the hospital and rushed straight there from her work, rose from her seat, joining her daughter at the side of her hospital bed. "Thank you, doctor."

The doctor smiled appreciatively, before continuing.

"You might find it useful to get some assistance while you become accustomed to the cast. If there's someone to help you get by with your daily tasks for the time being that might help, Miss Yuzu."

"Hmmmpf." Yuzu sighed in defeat.

Mei, who had been sitting in the corner of the room quietly reading a book this whole time, still clad in her skimpy gym clothes, looked up for the first time, caught off guard by what the doctor had just told her. Would they ask her to be Yuzu's aid for the time being? It seemed like a logical choice, what with her being around Yuzu the most, both as a sibling and lover. The thought was somewhat thrilling; the idea of Yuzu being dependant on her guidance felt weirdly exciting, a feeling she'd usually suppress. This injury meant they would have to spend more time together. Of course, Mei would maintain an air of general indifference as always but the mere thought of being heavily involved in everything Yuzu did for the next six weeks made her heart beat a little faster than usual. Spending more time with her secretive girlfriend was something Mei wouldn't turn down, after all. Considering the number of times she'd had to put her student council work ahead of spending time with Yuzu, she felt like this would be a good change for the both of them, even if her girlfriend, who was pouting adorably, wouldn't see it straight away. This was a chance that she had to grasp with both hands.

She could focus her attention to her school duties after the blonde would go to sleep anyway, as she always seemed to snooze off before Mei did.

Yuzu shrugged dejectedly, flopping all her weight back on to the bed. "I can just ask Har-" she began before being cut off by her younger sister, raising from her seat as she put the book down.

"I can do it." Mei suggested cooly, trying not to let the small feeling of excitement that was bubbling within her reveal itself. "You need someone to help you at home too after all."

This elicited a vivid, deep blush that spread across the blonde's cheeks and did not go unnoticed by her younger sister, Mei making sure to avoid her brilliant green eyes the second she suggested it. She knew what Yuzu's response would be. The blonde-haired girl loved spending time with her, both girls relishing in their relationship, although Mei was too prideful to admit it.

"U-uh well.. I m-mean uh." Yuzu stammered, searching for the right words to find as her face heated up even further, desperately trying not to come across too excited at the prospect of more time with Mei despite the fact that her face was lit up like a Christmas tree and her heart was doing somersaults in her chest. "If y'wanna..sure."

Mei's face betrayed none of her emotions at seeing the suggestion accepted by Yuzu and she nodded lightly with a polite smile.

"Alright then!" Ume beamed happily, pulling her youngest daughter in for a swift hug, who jumped a bit at the sudden contact.

"You're so adorable Mei-chan! Looking out for your big sister!"

Mei's brows furrowed at the compliment and the hug and Yuzu could see the small blush growing on her cheeks as she looked away in her mother's embrace, trying but failing miserably to hide her embarrassment.

It made Yuzu giggle.

* * *

A couple days had passed since the incident and Yuzu was quickly growing accustomed to living with crutches. Mei was relishing the chance to aid the blonde-haired girl when she was unable to do it alone and despite Yuzu's frustration and slight embarrassment at her incapability to be her normal, bouncy self, the two girls were making the most of their time together.

Mei was particularly eager in fulfilling her responsibilities, whether it was opening doors, holding Yuzu's school bag, handing the blonde her crutches whenever she woke up in the morning to prepare for school, helping her collect her uniform, or well, the collection of dress-code violations she wore to school every day. Of course, Yuzu being Yuzu, she still stubbornly tried (and failed) to some things herself, inevitably resulting in Mei helping her out and causing unnecessary difficulties for them.

Even with her disability, the blonde still had an inherent tendency to be reckless and bold, and this trait was something that irritated Mei to no end. But she'd learned by now that warning the girl was pointless, all her comments falling on deaf ears, and it was useless to try.

Monday morning rolled around and, after a very, _very_ awkward fifteen minutes of Mei helping her girlfriend get dressed, both trying not to look at the other, Yuzu blushing more vividly than she'd ever done before, it was time to go to school. the blonde, however, was incredibly reluctant to go to school with a big, ugly purple cast around her leg.

"You can't miss school now." Mei scolded her coldly, scoffing at the idea of ever wanting to miss school and completely ignoring the tongue defiantly stuck out by Yuzu as a form of protest. "The mid-term exams are coming up soon, and you really need to study."

"Ugh, fine." Yuzu grumbled, hopping her way awkwardly down the hallway and through the front door that Mei had opened to let her through. Slightly blushing, she puffed irritably and thanked her, waiting on the other side of the door for Mei who closed and locked the door behind them.

Arriving at school about an hour later, Harumin was waiting at the entrance for the two sisters, nearly tackling Yuzu the second she saw the injured girl. Fortunately she stopped herself at the last moment: Yuzu already had a broken ankle, she didn't need a concussion as well.

"Aah, sorry Yuzucchi." She apologized to the blonde, who quickly waved it off with a smile, very glad she hadn't been roughly tackled to the floor by her over-enthusiastic classmate once more after the accident.

Then the gyaru turned her attention to Mei, who returned Harumin's gaze in her customary cold, calculated manner. Harumin had grown quite accustomed to this by now and completely brushed it off with an ear-to-ear grin.

"Goodmornin' Prez!" She exclaimed happily, a bit too loud for Mei to process so early in the morning, and her eyes narrowed as she glared at the girl for a split second.

"Morning."

To Mei, the situation had its upsides and downsides. Accepting her new responsibilities meant she was more or less _forced_ to spend more time with the bouncy, bubbly blonde - something she secretly didn't mind at all, despite sometimes acting a little harsh towards her lover.

But as always, some of her student council duties were unavoidable regardless of the circumstances and they required a lot of her attention, most of it needing her to be elsewhere from her sister.

So it was decided that Harumin should take responsibility of Yuzu at school when Mei couldn't.

It made Mei feel a little uneasy placing Yuzu in Harumin's hands, fully aware of Harumin's tendency to be just as reckless and problematic as Yuzu. Already her head was filling with a thousand different scenarios, all of them ending in Yuzu horrifically injured even further.

Or was it simply because it'd mean she couldn't watch over Yuzu as much, her damsel in distress already accustomed to relying on her? Mei liked to tell herself that it wasn't the case, so she wouldn't feel too bad about leaving Yuzu behind when she was most vulnerable.

As school was about to start, Mei had to fulfil her mandatory duty of checking the students' presence, something she'd rather forget about right now, but sadly she couldn't.

"Lemme take that burden off your shoulders." Harumin grinned cheekily, pointing at Yuzu who looked back at her offended at the thought of being referred to as 'a burden.'

"Excuse me!?"

"She'll be safe with mama Harumin!" She cheered, completely ignoring the blonde and pounding herself on her chest in sheer confidence, as Mei looked back at her dryly.

"Mei, I'll wait for you outside the student council room after school, kay? Then we can go home together!" Yuzu beamed happily, giving her sister one of those smiles that sent shivers down Mei's spine and made her knees weak for a split second.

The dark-haired girl simply nodded back at her, causing Yuzu's warm smile to grow even bigger and stretch almost from ear-to-ear.

Leaning her elbow over her crutch for support, Yuzu checked the time, letting out a startled gasp and turning her attention towards Harumin, slightly freaking out. "Harumin, we gotta go!"

"Oh shoot, gotta run! C'mon Yuzucchi!" Harumin exclaimed, picking up the pace as she started sprinting towards the school, leaving a frowning Mei and bewildered Yuzu behind. In typical Harumin fashion, she'd completely forgotten the most important detail: the blonde girl's broken ankle.

"Haruminn! I can't run, remember!?" Yuzu yelled loudly, causing many of their fellow students walking nearby to stop their conversation and turn their heads to look at her. Harumin immediately skidded to a stop before spinning around on her heel, a look of shock on her face as she sprinted back towards her friends.

"Oh double shoot!"

Mei sighed, walking away from the two of them to join the rest of the Student Council members who had begun to assemble on the corner of the street, the dark-haired girl still hearing Yuzu and Harumin bicker over the sound of her thoughts.

"Climb on my back, I'll carry you piggyback-style!" Harumin suggested enthusiastically, and much to Mei's relief, Yuzu turned the reckless and frankly dangerous offer down, instead hobbling forward on her crutches as fast as she could.

"Come on Harumin!" Yuzu taunted, calling over her shoulder to the other girl. Harumin in response instantly picked up the pace and ran past the crippled girl and entered the school building before her, leaving Yuzu struggling to catch up. Mei watched on until they both were out of sight, once again wondering if leaving her sister in the hands of Harumin had been a terrible mistake.

"How are we ever going to get through there?" Yuzu indicated at the mass of commuters swarming in front of them, a scene of pure chaos that filled the narrow streets between the academy and the way home. She gesticulated wildly to emphasise her point, almost dropping one of her crutches in the process.

Despite her having experienced the rush hour crowds most days since starting at the academy, Yuzu still hadn't adjusted and she gazed on in amazement at the sea of people surrounding the two of them, each one minding their own business. Occasionally one would look sympathetically at her upon noticing her injury.

"We can take the next train." Mei suggested, surveying the crowded, packed subway station before them. There would be no easy way through the crowd especially with Yuzu's injury and neither girl really relished the prospect of squeezing on to a small train full of people. Still, the next subway station was almost certainly going to be just as bad, and Yuzu wouldn't be able to hobble all the way home without taking a train even with Mei's help.

"We can try-" Mei began before Yuzu interrupted her, pointing wildly at a space that had opened up in one of the carriages.

"Over there! Go go!" She exclaimed loudly, already surging forward as fast as possible in crutches and leaving Mei no time to even question whether it was a good idea for Yuzu in her current state to try and fight her way through the crowds..

"Yuzu, I don't think that's clever." She stated, scowling in frustration when the blonde didn't seem to hear her over the rumbling and chatting of the people milling around them.

But just as coordination wasn't Yuzu's strongest point, neither was subtlety. She managed, somehow, to find a path through the commuters, squeezing through the open carriage doors and onto the train before looking back with a grin at Mei who was still on the platform, waiting for the black-haired girl to join her. Quickly swinging her sister's bag over her shoulder, Mei sighed, following the path Yuzu had forged through the startled people and joining the other girl inside the train.

Due to the sheer number of people crowding onto a train that was too small for them all, everyone was pressed together into a horrible sweaty mass of bodies. Yuzu and Mei were right against the window, Mei wrapping her arms tightly around her sister and pulling her in close. A few moments later the doors closed, and it was announced over the speaker that the train would be leaving very shortly. Sure enough, a few seconds later the train moved out of the station.

Despite the regular warnings the student council had to hand out to both Yuzu and Harumin on a daily basis, Mei was relieved to see that Harumin, despite her clumsy tendencies, had managed to make sure Yuzu got through the school day without further incident. When their lessons had ended that day and Mei gathered the work that needed to be finished at home, she was pleasantly surprised to find Yuzu waiting outside the Student Council room, leaning against a wall and reading a magazine she kept in her bag. Upon noticing Mei, a warm smile lit up the blonde's features, Yuzu clearly very happy to see her sister again and be in her comforting, reassuring presence.

It was a feeling that was mutual and Mei more than reciprocated the love her girlfriend showed her. She allowed herself a brief smile, making sure everyone had left the school and they were alone before leaning over and quickly pecking the blonde on her cheek, Yuzu instantly blushing a deep red and becoming flustered, as Mei knew she would.

Their walk towards the local train station had been similarly involved with subtle touches of hands despite the crutches Yuzu had to hold under her arms at all times. Mei appreciated the delicate side of Yuzu, with the overly enthusiastic and excitable blonde usually tending to be far more expressive and engaged.

Those subtle touches, small talk and mostly one-sided endearing looks combined with the occasional tricky and embarrassing situation for the blonde with the broken ankle, had led them up to this point;

Crammed on a train like sardines in a can.

Feeling Mei's arms pull her even closer, their bodies pressed tightly together, Yuzu blushed furiously, her eyes widening as she looked up at the taller girl. Mei, for her part, looked away like it was the most normal thing in the world. Yuzu really wanted to ask Mei about it, but she was scared that if she mentioned it her girlfriend would let go. She felt so warm, so safe in her sister's arms and she didn't want to risk that security.

"Uhh.. Mei?" Was all she managed to get out of her lips.

Mei looked right down into the wondering expression hidden in those green eyes, returning the gaze with a calculating one of her own.

"It's easy for you to lose your balance right now." Mei stated cooly, the dark-haired girl still slightly flustered by the body contact, however as she shot her gaze up, quickly looking elsewhere. "I'm making sure you don't."

Yuzu suppressed a laugh at the sight of her normally calm and collected sister seemingly so embarrassed even though Mei was trying her hardest to maintain her poise. Something about it was just so adorable and cute to the blonde-haired girl she couldn't help but smile.

Aware that this sweet, tender moment wasn't going to last very much longer, considering their stop was only a few minutes away, Yuzu leaned into Mei's embrace, delicately resting her head in the other girl's scarf. It filled her nose with a familiar fragrance: the sweet scent of Mei's body and Yuzu found it intoxicating. She wished more than anything else that every day could be like this.

A comfortable silence settled over the two of them, content to just enjoy the precious moment they were sharing.

Mei's neck was heating up beneath Yuzu's touch but she said nothing about it. Yuzu did need help keeping her balance after all.

"Hmm.." Yuzu hummed happily into the crook of Mei's neck, her breath warm on Mei's delicate skin. "I should break my ankle more often." she giggled softly.

The dark haired girl chuckled quietly at this but when she looked down and met Yuzu's gaze her expression remained characteristically blank and hard to read.

"I disagree, but I know you well enough by now to know it'll probably happen again in the future." She scolded playfully, her voice barely audible enough for the blonde to hear.

"Wha- that's not true!" Yuzu protested in defense but she was quickly silenced by Mei's lips pressing into her own for a second before pulling back again. The kiss was so brief and unexpected, yet so welcome, and it made Yuzu's legs suddenly feel very heavy, her mind craving for more. Both her cheeks flared a brilliant scarlet as her face lit up in a vivid blush.

"Yes it is." Mei told her, her features as calm and collected as ever. It was almost as if the rapid kiss that had just completely taken Yuzu by surprise had never happened.

"Okay maybe." The blonde admitted, still blushing furiously.

Their train arrived at their destination and the girls got off, glad to be free of the mass of commuters on a sweaty, warm, humid train. Mei slung both their bags over her shoulder and together they headed home.

By now it was dark and the sky was lit up by countless pinpricks of light as stars shone down upon them. The street lights illuminated their faces and a comfortable atmosphere settled over the girls as they walked home in silence, stood side by side to make up for their inability to hold hands. It wasn't until their flat appeared in sight that Yuzu spoke up.

"Finally home! I'm starving." She spoke cheerily. "Hopefully mom has prepared dinner already."

Mei remained silent, her gaze fixed intently on the road in front of them.

"Will you feed me?" Yuzu laughed, leaning in close to Mei, who's stern expression did not falter for a second.

"I was under the impression that you injured your ankle. Not your hands."

"Awh, is that a no?"

Mei sighed slightly and turned to look at Yuzu, the blonde doing her best "cute" impression, complete with puppy-dog eyes.

"Maybe."


End file.
